Simple experiment design for impulsive force measure at hammer and nail collisions

• Published in: Physics education 2024-11, Vol.59 (6), p.65005
• Main Authors: Untoro, Nur, Ramdhan, Muhammad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: conservation of mechanical energy; kinetic energy; the impulsive force; work
• ISSN: 0031-9120; 1361-6552
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6552/ad7007

For approximately 2400 years BC, carpenters have been using hammers to nail wood. The reason for this method is unclear and evaluations of its effectiveness should not be made without proper research. Therefore, this study aims to develop a force-measuring instrument to analyze the impulsive forces produced during hammer strokes on nails. The measurement process is based on the laws of conservation of momentum and mechanical energy and the work-energy principle. The apparatus was constructed using a PVC pipe fitted with a rope pulley and load. The measurements were taken by dropping the mass onto nails embedded in the wooden specimens of keruing, teak, mahogany, and pine. The findings demonstrate that the impulsive force involved in driving nails into wood remains constant. This force is not influenced by the speed of the hammer swing, but rather by the wood’s level of hardness and penetration depth. Using harder wood results in a greater impulsive force, therefore, driving nails becomes more efficient in securing them into the wood.